Gazing out across the Otranto Channel and the Adriatic waters to the heel of the Italian boot, the coastal town of Vlore has long been one of the most important trading posts in all of Albania. Its natural harbours and tactical position have served the colonial Greeks, imperial Romans and occupying Ottomans alike, and while the tankers continue to glide out to sea past the silhouette of Sazan Island today, the town is certainly much more than just a port stop on the Mediterranean.

Indeed, from the sunshine blessed beaches of the greater Bay of Vlora, to the town’s interesting gastronomic scene complete with all the ubiquitous seafood dishes of the Adriatic, Vlore tour guides really do have plenty to talk about. The town exhibits an enthralling interior mishmash of architectural styles that finds its zenith where the industrial structures of the Independence Monument meet the 16^th century Mosque of Muradie. Then there are the startling green facades of the Kuz Baba, and Vlore’s acclaimed ethnographic and history museums too. What’s more, the town offers easy access to the greater region of southern Albania; to the Lagoon of Narta, the ancient site of Apollonia, and the historic rises of the Kanina Castle besides.